Interactive computer games and other interactive applications might be implemented as computers, consoles, or other computing device coupled to a display with user input devices such as console controllers, keyboards, and the like. As applications can be complex, they need to be tested and often that involves a tester using the applications and noting any bugs.
Often, testing involves automated scripting, wherein a testing apparatus executes preprogrammed sequences of providing inputs to the machine under test and the results are noted, either programmatically or by a human observer. Often, this is not sufficient for testing, as the generation of preprogrammed sequences sufficient to test many aspects of an application can be almost as complicated as creating the application.
Software testing devices for quality assurance, quality control and debugging are well known in the software fields. Human interactive applications and devices are more difficult to test. Examples include video games, vehicle simulators, and other systems and devices configured to operate and respond to human interaction.
One method of testing, such as with video games, is to have a human user play the video game device while the output shown to the user is recorded on a video recorder while the game is played. These recordings may be digital or analog video recordings. If a problem (program bug, undesirable or notable application event) occurs, the video recording can be reviewed by a testing person. A developer then uses the recording to determine how the application might have erred and then might perform additional testing to recreate the error condition in order to begin a debugging process. This is a very labor intensive and inexact method of testing and debugging such applications and devices where most problems are not reproducible.
Another conventional method that may aid in testing is use of debug logs. Such logs are sometimes used on computer systems to record the occurrences of certain predetermined system failures as they occur. Entries in the logs may indicate certain failures in the system, and are typically used for routine system troubleshooting and maintenance. The logs may then be reviewed by programmers trying to troubleshoot a system or simply monitor the activities of a system. Debug logging typically requires coding in debug points such that when a debug point is encountered in program code, a debug entry is written to a log. Thus, this requires advanced decision as to where to place debug points. Erring on the side of too many debug points might render the debug log too cumbersome, while erring on the side of too few debug points might render the debug log uninformative.